Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in Priest River, ID: what to set up and who to call
All of Priest River gets its mail under one ZIP code, 83856. West Bonner District, at 118 Main St, is the library in town.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Priest River, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Priest River.
Power comes from Avista
Avista (Avista Corp.), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Priest River. Its homes paid an average of 11.8¢ per kWh in 2025, about $107 a month (its average across Idaho).
Start or move service: avistacorp.com · (509) 489-0500
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from City of Priest River water system
The City of Priest River water system supplies Priest River: about 96% of residents live in its service area. About 4% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws surface water and serves 2,173 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 78% of the 7,966 systems serving 1,001–3,300 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, was 4.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 88% of similar systems’ latest results.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0 (EPA’s estimate). Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. ID1090107.
5 home internet providers serve Priest River
98% of 881 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 98% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| MiFiber | Fiber, Cable | 98% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Ziply Fiber | Fiber, DSL | 74% | 6,000/6,000 |
| Wired or Wireless | Fixed wireless | 98% | 30/10 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 80% | 300/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 41% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Excess Disposal, Inc. picks up trash in Priest River
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Priest River, from the town’s own site.
We couldn’t find pickup days or drop-off hours. Check priestriver-id.gov →
From priestriver-id.gov, the town’s official site, checked Oct 22, 2026. Rules change: the town’s page is the last word. .
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Priest River is in West Bonner County School District 83.
CSchool gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Aug 2023; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Priest River is in ZIP code 83856
ZIP codes where Priest River residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Priest River | ZIP’s residents in Priest River |
|---|---|---|---|
| 83856 | Priest River, ID | 100% | 26% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Priest River
Who supplies Priest River’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The City of Priest River water system (EPA ID ID1090107). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 4.0 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Priest River?
Avista (Avista Corp.), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 11.8¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Priest River?
MiFiber, Ziply Fiber, Wired or Wireless, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Priest River?
83856. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Priest River in?
West Bonner County School District 83.
How do I register to vote in Priest River?
In Idaho you can register online until 11 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 11 days before). Elections here are run by the Bonner County Clerk. Check your registration at elections.sos.idaho.gov.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: Priest River’s own website (priestriver-id.gov), read Oct 22, 2026, pickup and drop-off facts extracted and checked against the page they came from.
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.